My Hitman 3 bullet journal helps me learn to play the game

I’m not one to typically use stealth strategies to play video games – even in games where I should be, like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I prefer to arm my character with heavy melee weapons and blast my way through a level, which is why the Hitman series never really appealed to me. I learned very quickly when I started up Assassin 3 on Friday that my preferred approach was absolute not going to work. I would be forced to play covertly since developer IO Interactive designed it.

In the beginning I was lost. I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do. I overheard conversations and immediately forgot about them. I acted suspiciously and kept getting caught. My thoughts immediately turned to another hobby that helped me solve problems during the pandemic: journaling. (And then I opened Polygon’s beginner’s guide too.)

I have a journal which is a journal and another for work notes. Then I have another one with notes and thoughts on books I’m reading – a way to keep track of complex stories. (I also have a few more magazines, but I don’t want you to think I’m stranger than you already think I am.)

So I started a similar diary, one especially for Hitman 3 notes. In any case, this is not a new idea for other video games. Lots of people do it – and there’s an entire community out there committed to journaling and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There are many different reasons why people do this; some want to manage and track collections or found items – to tick off fish and insects – and others just want to creatively honor their island.

My Assassin 3 journal is a bit of both. I use it to keep track of story missions and challenges that I have completed (or eventually want to complete), but it is also a place where I write down essential things to remember – little bits of the story I might otherwise forget, such as security codes or maps. As I play the game, I find myself using the “language” of Assassin 3, notice small details that are hugely important – things that seasoned Hitman players can automatically pick up.

Image: Nicole Carpenter / Polygon

It’s functional, but it was just as important to make it cute. I usually use stickers and washi tape to decorate in my journals, but I quickly realized I might never find a pry bar sticker so I had to draw. Functionally I created the compartments and space to write with pencil before adding drawings; that is so that I could quickly take notes with the pen while playing.

It’s been really fun, after playing a bit Assassin 3, to go back to the journal and fill the space with scribbles and thoughts. Assassin 3 is so different from what I normally play, and this is one way of retaining the “language” of the game. It was especially helpful as I approached the third level in Berlin, where developer IO Interactive dropped the story missions and sent Agent 47 – and I – blindly. I’ve used the space to keep track of itineraries and other areas of interest.

Without the story missions of the previous two levels to guide me, the Berlin level forces me to rely solely on my learned understanding of Assassin 3‘s language. It’s the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ways IO Interactive leads the player to a hint, such as what makes someone stand out or what kinds of things to avoid. I often find myself writing down little bits of information that I’ve gleaned from overheard conversations, some of which have been very helpful in guiding me on a future path. So much of that language is learned through slow observation and listening skills; Hitman 3 feels slow to play, so it feels nice to take the extra time to write down the collected information in a simple (and slightly extra) way.

If you’re interested in starting your own, I have some tips:

• Use a quick dry pen / ink – I love fountain pens, but when I write notes quickly while playing a game, I don’t want to risk smudging. I used a Uni Jetstream and a Pilot Acro, both with fine tips, in a Traveler’s Notebook insert from Midori. For the gray highlights I used a Tombow Dual brush pen.
• Doodle and decorate! It’s just fun. But don’t worry about this while playing; just do it afterwards.
• Keep track of challenges and collectibles so you don’t have to constantly trudge through menus.
• Write down ‘memories’ or memorable moments in the game, especially conversations you overheard.
• Don’t worry about screwing up. I screw up a lot, but I like to think that it gives my diaries character.